P5: Prisoners of Desire
by Jim Hard
Summary: Two women, whose lives were forever changed by one legendary trickster, find themselves on their own paths to ruin. Their hearts teeter on a dangerous edge. Falling in love is fine, but how far can one fall before their landing hurts? As only the strongest bonds can avoid this coming ruin, the leader of the Phantom Thieves personally sees to their rehabilitation (LEMON! Sex ch ESC)
1. A Twist of Fate

"My, my. It would seem we've stumbled upon a most intriguing turn of events." The familiar, rich baritone filled the small, velvet-clad prison cell. The pale, long-nosed man gave a deep chuckle. "You truly never cease to surprise me."

"Thanks for tripling our workload, inmate!" Caroline barked, striking the bars of his cell with her retractable steel baton.

"What are you guys talking about?" Akira approached the iron bars that separated them, still a bit groggy from having just come to; his shackles clinking together as he trudged forward to speak with his cryptic guide.

"It seems as if two of your comrades-in-arms have found their way into my Velvet Room."

"R-Really? Who?" Akira asked, a hint of surprise peeking through his usual cool and collected demeanor.

This was actually kind of exciting. Maybe they found it on the Meta-nav by mistake or something. He hoped it was Ryuji; always writing off the Velvet Room as 'just some crazy dream.' Though, part of him worried about how'd they react to seeing him shackled and caged like this. His eyes scanned the Velvet Room, seeing only the usual Igor and his two twin assistants.

"And… where? I don't see anyone." He said, straining to peek at the corners of the room outside his cell's range of vision.

"That's simple." Caroline's soft-spoken sister began. "The new inmates are located to your right, and to your left."

Wait… 'new inmates?' he didn't know what was going on, but this certainly wasn't shaping up to be the pleasant visit he was imagining.

"Guuuys?" Akira tentatively called out, hoping to get some idea of what happened to his friends before he arrived. Even a confirmation 'hey' would suffice, at least that'd tell him who they were and if they were okay… but he was met with icy silence.

Caroline shook her head. "They can't hear you yet, inmate." She said in the irritated tone of having to explain something obvious.

"They are still making their journey from reality; they should be joining us soon enough." Igor elaborated in his soothing baritone.

This wasn't making any sense… "Igor? Could you fill me in on why you put my friends in prison cells?" Akira asked.

The man behind the desk gave another low chuckle.

Another strike against the bars from Caroline. "How dare you spout such slanderous claims at our master!"

"If anyone here is to blame, it is you." Justine continued.

"Me?"

"Indeed." Igor began. "Even if not intentionally so; they are here because of you." The pale man paused; crossing his legs and leaning forward to place his elbows on the glossy finish of the dark, mahogany desk. "I have reason to believe that their relationship with you has put them on their own path to ruin. And thus, I have brought them here for rehabilitation."

The cryptic nature of this whole thing was really starting to get on Akira's nerves, especially now that his friends were involved. The boy grasped the bars of his prison cell. "But what does that mean, damn it!? I've been at this for over six months now and you haven't even told _me_ what rehabilitation or ruin means!"

Caroline's judgement was swift. Within fractions of a second, her baton hammered into the bars of his cell; landing mere centimeters away from where his fingers lay. The gust of air from her swing, alone, was enough to rustle the boy's messy hair and stripe-clad jumpsuit. Akira staggered backwards, double checking that all his fingers were still intact. "Don't you _**ever**_ talk back to our master that way! You got that?!" she barked; the fiery stare from her sharp, yellow eye piercing his very soul.

The shaken boy silently nodded, still grasping the wrist of the hand that had just nearly been taken off. Akira could feel the rage radiating off the navy-clad warden. This wasn't some disciplinary act of authority or power. This was a threat. Akira often forgot the sheer amount of power the two small girls possessed. He had his eyes on her the whole time, and couldn't even see her swing. It was like she teleported. He was surprised the impact didn't bend the bars.

"Our master doesn't _have_ to save your contractors, inmate! You should be on your knees thanking him." Caroline said, back to her normal self rather quickly.

"Rest assured, this is all for the sake of your rehabilitation." Igor added.

There it was again. As much as it irked him, the one-eyed warden was one more wrong comment away from caving his skull in. So he kept his mouth shut.

"We understand your frustration." The gentler voiced twin began. "But knowing all the details regarding your rehabilitation before you are ready could stifle or even prevent a full rehabilitation, making ruin unavoidable."

"Haaaaah! W-What? Wh-Where am I?! What's going on?! Sojiroooo!?" The girl cried out, beginning to audibly hyperventilate.

Akira's gaze snapped to the wall on his right. What was once a solid wall of velvet, now had a small, barred opening near its center; a window into the neighboring cell. The redhead sat balled up in the corner of her steel prison bed. "Futaba?" The boy said in surprise. Of all the Phantom Thieves, it had to be the _one_ person who couldn't handle the shock of suddenly waking up in a prison cell! Okay… that was most people, but Futaba especially!

Futaba froze. She knew that voice. She lifted her head from her hands, wiping away the tears clouding her vision as she squinted toward the direction her name had been called. Her eyes lit up when it confirmed what her ears had claimed.

"Akira!" She cried, jumping to her feet, a combination of elation and pure panic in her voice. He was still pretty blurry without her glasses, but there was only one lanky, jet-black haired boy that could know her by name.

"I-It is you, right?" She stopped, half-way to the window, doubt and caution filling her mind as the threatening implications of this unknown environment put her more and more on-edge.

Akira chuckled. "What, you don't recognize your own key-item?"

"*Gasp* It _is_ you!"

The boy slipped his arm through the bars and into Futaba's cell. Futaba wasted no time grabbing it, hugging it close to her face like some kind of comfort blanket. "You got nothing to worry about." Akira said in an upbeat, confident tone.

Akira being there with her already made things, like, a bajillion times better. But the cool, confident vibes her leader possessed—the kind that screamed 'I got this under control'—always seemed to rub off onto her; she felt… braver with Akira—or more accurately: Joker—calling the shots. She was pretty sure the rest of the team felt it too. Akira was like a bard that boosted the party's charisma stat!

It's super effective! And the girl's breathing slowly began to steady.

Futaba missing her glasses was probably a blessing in disguise; as someone with Igor's… unique appearance would likely give the little introvert quite a fright.

"Mmngh… Cold." Mumbled a new, groggy voice "W-Wha… Oh my god!"

Well, he certainly knew that voice. Akira looked over to see his left cell wall was given the same treatment as his right. "Ann, we're over here. Don't freak out." Akira called over. He wasn't as worried about Ann. Not that he didn't care about her; she was just better equipped to take care of herself than Futaba was. Not only did she have a lot more experience with high-stress situations—being one of the original Phantom Thieves and all—but she could absolutely kick ass if she felt the need to. Not that she would even need comforting; Ann usually responded to adversity with aggression over fear…

As if on cue, "Hey! What the hell is going on here!?" She barked.

"Ann? What did I just say?" Akira playfully scolded. "I'd come over and say hello, but I, uh, kinda got my hands full at the moment." he quipped, a small smile on his lips.

"Grrrr. You scared me half to death!" She said, slamming her hand against the window's bars. "I swear! If this is some kind of prank! It's not fun-NEEEE!" Her voice shot up and octave. She felt her blood run cold as she saw the ghastly, long-nosed figure smiling at her from the center of the room; its pinpoint pupils staring a hole through her, behind thick chains crisscrossing atop metal prison bars, only adding to the sheer freakiness of it! "What the hell is that thing?!"

"Oh, that's Igor; he's a friend."

"A friend? Christ, he looks like a shadow. Gives me the creeps." With the practical joke explanation off the table, she began to feel more comfort in Akira's casual attitude toward the situation. At least now she knew he wasn't messing with her. The blonde approached the window. "So what's going on here, then? Why are we locked up like this? Is this some kind of palace?"

"Iiiiiit's complicated…" He said, scratching his face with his non-futabaed hand. "With a lot of details I'm not exactly privy to myself… I'll explain later."

"So, this is the final prisoner then." Justine said, approaching Ann's cell.

"P-Prisoner?" She looked back over to Akira, a glint of worry in her eye, as if looking for guidance.

'Everything is fine.' he mouthed. 'Just go with it.'

After a few moments of thought, Ann nodded. If Akira had been here before, he clearly knew a way out. She'd stay on her guard, but follow his instructions.

Like a light switch, Ann put on a big, dumb smile; leaning forward flirtatiously. "Sooooo. What'd I do wrong officer?" The model asked, dawning her awful 'acting' voice.

Akira practically hurt himself with an almost instinctual facepalm. "That's not what I meant! Listen—poor phrasing on my part aside—you just need to cooperate with them. This is a dream world. You're still in bed, right now. Just don't be difficult and we can all go home."

"A… dream?" Ann looked around the room. It all felt so real…

"A place that exists between dream and reality; mind and matter." Igor elaborated, finally giving the two a formal introduction. "My Velvet Room."

Ann was a bit taken aback. "W-Wow… You have a really nice voice." She genuinely didn't expect such rich tones from such a thin, beady-eyed monster man.

"Sounds kinda villainous, if you ask me." Futaba replied, finally beginning to feel comfortable enough to add her two-cents to the convo.

"I'm sure that vibe's just coming off the way he looks."

Futaba glared at her through Akira's cell, waving a hand back and forth in front of her specs-less eyeballs.

"Oh, right!" Ann said with a laugh.

Either Caroline was extra hard on Akira for some reason, or she was holding herself back from disciplining the female newbies. Because _he_ would've gotten quite the tongue-lashing if he said _anything close_ to those kinds of comments about their master. He wasn't sure if he should feel grateful or bitter that his friends were getting a better treatment than him.

"Hey! Listen up, you two!" Caroline barked.

"Our master wishes to speak with you." Justine continued.

With all eyes on him, Igor began. "As you may have already deduced, your friend knows this place well. We have granted him our aid so he may overcome the chains of fate and avoid the coming ruin. His rehabilitation has been progressing smoothly, and his adventures have proven to be quite the entertaining display. You are now here because your interactions with the budding trickster have put each of you on your own path to ruin."

"Ruin? Chains of fate?" Ann looked over to him. "Boy, you really just have the worst luck, don't you?"

"Seriously! It's like he's buffed the rest of his stats by siphoning EXP from his Luck value."

Akira cracked a smile. It was sweet how they thought of him, first. Instead of focusing on the fact that Akira basically infected them with his bad luck. "So, how do we rehabilitate them? Do I just have to cut ties with them completely?"

Futaba held his arm tighter as she heard those words.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. The bonds with your allies have been sown. Leaving them now would not only greatly hinder your rehabilitation, but would surely seal their fates to the coming ruin." Igor looked over to the redheaded prisoner hugging the boy's arm tightly to her body. Igor chuckled, resting a cheek on his knuckle. "Not that they would allow you to leave them in the first place."

"You got that right!" Ann said, determination filling her voice. "I'm not scared of some bad luck voodoo curse or whatever. We can get through this together!"

"Mm-hm!" Futaba nodded frantically. "And don't think you can sneak away from us either. Alibaba's cyber-reach is infinite and all-seeing. We _will_ find you."

Akira laughed. "Okay, okay. It's not like I _wanted_ to go anywhere."

Another deep chuckle from the pale man. "The bonds you've forged are truly powerful. These young women shall prove invaluable toward your path to rehabilitation. You have done well."

"Though your enthusiasm toward rehabilitation is admirable," Justine said, approaching the blond girl's cell, "know that ruin is not something to be taken lightly."

"What's gonna happen?"

"If you knew, it'd only increase the likelihood of it actually happening." Akira droned.

"Hmph! Sounds like someone's finally catching on." Caroline struck the bars of his cell for the utmost time that evening. "Don't think you can start doing our jobs for us, inmate! Know your place!"

As he was being scolded, a troubling thought popped into his mind. "So, is this gonna happen to other people?" Akira asked the long-nosed man. "Passing my ruin to other people I get too close with?"

"Unlikely." Igor answered. "Your ruin was not spread to your companions. You were merely the catalyst that sparked the slumbering discord that lay dormant within them."

"Aaaand I'll know what that means when the time is right?"

Igor gave an amused chuckle. "Precisely. Just as you are a prisoner of fate, these women have become prisoners of their own heart. Only with your assistance can they free themselves from the shackles within. As our time draws short, I've allowed the girls to give you a few instructions. It pleases me to see such dedication taken towards your rehabilitation. Consider it a gift."

The two twins stood side-by-side, ready to follow their master's orders.

"In theory, the path to rehabilitation is quite straightforward." Justine began, idly flipping through the pages on her clipboard. "You simply must continue to strengthen your bonds with one another."

Caroline whipped her metal baton out from its retracted state. "Don't look so relieved _yet_, inmates! The bonds required to overcome your ruin need to be intense. It goes far beyond what confidant contracts or arcana bursts can even measure. What you've been doing so far isn't gonna cut it!"

"So, all we got to do is get really, _really_ close with Akira?" Ann said, poorly masking the excitement in her voice. "I think I can do that."

"You misunderstand." Justine began. "Your rehabilitation requires you to form intimate bonds with both of your fellow prisoners."

'I-Intimate?' Ann sprouted a hint of blush on her cheeks. She was probably reading too much into this, but the young model's teenage brain couldn't help but run wild with the thoughts of… w-wait, what did she mean by 'both?!'

Before Ann could issue a follow up,

_**Brrrriiiiiinnng!**_

Three distant alarms echoed through the velvet chamber.

"Time's up, inmates!"

"I look forward to seeing how you approach these new rules to our game. We wish you the best of luck." Igor said as Akira and Futaba returned to their beds.

"H-Hey! We're not done here!" Ann barked, grasping the prison cell bars. "I still…s-still-" Her head began to spin. She staggered back, her legs shaking in a vain attempt to support her body before finally losing her balance and hurtling to the hard, stone brickwork below.

Before she could even feel herself hit the floor, blackness.

* * *

Wow! Daas a _lotta_ plot setup just for sum fuck!

Welcome to the world of Jim Hard, where _everything_ gets fleshed out, whether you like it or not.

* * *

Thumbnail art courtesy of (stolen): Matsuryu (Futaba) & Nekoforest (Ann)


	2. Rehabilitation Start!

Ann awoke with a start, breathing heavily as she frantically checked her surroundings. She was in her room, faintly illuminated by the Tokyo morning sunlight peeking through her window blinds. The chitter chatter of the early morning birds filling the late-summer air.

She had the weirdest dream, last night. The whole thing was a bit fuzzy, but the parts she _could_ remember were oddly vivid. Her, Akira, and… someone else were locked away in some weird circle jail. She could've sworn that, at one point, dream Akira _told_ her she was dreaming. She found it pretty off-putting that the dream called itself a dream. Probably just a coincidence she was reading too much into.

Ann threw off her covers, grunting as she stretched her arms to the heavens; ready to start the day and put this whole dream business behind her.

Pi

Pi

Pi

Pi

Her phone chirped; its cheery tone overpowered by the churning sounds of vibration against her hardwood bedside table. It was a little early for texting; it must be important. The girl swiftly pulled up her SMS app. It was Akira.

Morning Ann. How'd you sleep? :AK

Not quite the emergency message she was expecting… but that weird dream was still really eating at her. She'd probably sound super weird bringing this up out of the blue… But Akira was pretty much the least judgey person she knew. Screw it!

AT: I had this super strange dream last night.

Really? What about? :AK

AT: I was in some kind of jail with you and  
someone else.

AT: And there was this weird looking man  
who was warning us about something.

AT: But what really freaked me out was that  
dream you actually told me I was  
dreaming!

AT: Is that normal? Has anything like  
that ever happened to you?

No. Sounds pretty crazy to me. :AK

Ann felt her face heat up with embarrassment. She should've just kept it to herself! Just before she could begin to type out her apology… A new message.

Ann, I'm messing with you! :AK  
I was there, and so was Futaba.

The blonde just stared at that text. She would be absolutely furious… if she wasn't so, _so_ confused…

Long nosed man with a deep voice? :AK  
Twins with eyepatches? Dark blue  
Velvet interior? Any-a these  
ringing a bell?

AT: Those do sound really familiar…

AT: And yeah, it definitely was Futaba!

Can't remember a lot, right? :AK  
Happened to me the first couple of  
times, too.

It gets better the more you show up. :AK

But hopefully we can keep your visits :AK  
to a minimum.

AT: So it was all real?

Hope so. Either that or you're really :AK  
starting to lose your marbles.

Maybe this is all still a dream. :AK

ooOOOoo :AK

AT: Ignoring that

AT: So Futaba's roped into this whole thing  
too? Have you touched base with her  
already?

Mm-hm. Tried to at least. :AK  
Haven't gotten a response  
back yet.

My guess is that she went back to :AK  
sleep.

AT: Ug! The perks of a schoolless life!

Oh, hey Ryuji! My bad. I coulda :AK  
sworn this was Ann's #.

She was ashamed to admit that that got a laugh out of her.

AT: So, what? You're NOT jealous of the  
girl who gets to sleep in all the time?

I get up at 6 everyday, Ann… :AK

AT: For real?

Yes. :AK

AT: Even on breaks and weekends?

Yep. :AK

AT: You're insane.

I'm a busy man. :AK

AT: All the more reason to pull a late  
night or 2.

Morgana doesn't let me stay up late. :AK

AT: Your cat decides your bedtime?

It used to be annoying, but if I'm :AK  
honest, it's done wonders for my  
daily energy level!

Also, he's not mine and he's not a cat. :AK  
Your Ryuji's showing again.

I digress :AK

You wanna have a chat about this :AK  
later today? If you're still confused  
about the velvet room, I can offer  
what little insight I have.

AT: That'd be great! Thanks!

Lunchtime, Shujin rooftop sound :AK  
good to you? Morgana's usually  
fallen asleep in my desk by that  
point.

AT: So we're keeping this a secret?

I'd say so. Explaining this whole :AK  
"world between worlds" thing to the  
rest of the team would be more  
trouble than it's worth.

Best not to complicate things, right? :AK

AT: I guess.

I'll see you there, then! :AK

~ ~ ~ LUNCHTIME ~ ~ ~

"So that's where the meta-nav came from?"

"Props to you for paying attention and all, Ann. But I said that a good 10 minutes ago."

"And I always wondered how you kept summoning personas we've never seen before. So that room fuses personas to make new ones?"

"Again, that was all towards the beginning, I don't know why you've decided to save up all your comments for now."

"Because _first_ I was listening to you talk and _now_ I'm thinking back on it! What's wrong with that?!" Ann barked.

Akira put up his hands defensively. "Nothing! Nothing's wrong with that! I was just curious, is all. You don't do that sort of thing normally."

Ann let her body fall back down to the metal backrest. "Well, this topic isn't very 'normal' is it?"

"Is it that much weirder than the metaverse?"

"I dunno, it just feels… different than learning about the metaverse. I can't put my finger on it, but something inside me sensed the, I dunno, the _weight_ of the information being told to me. So I felt like a needed to pay extra close attention."

"Weird. I get that same kind of feeling whenever Igor talks to me about my 'coming ruin.'" He said, putting on his best Igor for those final words.

Akira had told her everything that he could about the Velvet Room, its purpose, its abilities, its occupants, and his time there; while also filling in the memory gaps from her own visit, the night prior. Or, at least… most of it…

Akira took a deep breath, thoughtfully looking around the school roof. "The OG thief hideout. Just being here really brings back memories, huh."

Ann looked over to the boy whose gaze was now lost in the distance. "Y-Yeah." She said. "It… really does." The girl sank in her seat, a bit. Not very good memories, though. As her mind reflected back to the Kamoshida incident, all the pain came flooding back with it. The loneliness she felt as the foreign student outcast. The hurtful rumors about her and Kamoshida. The helplessness she felt toward Kamoshida's continued pressuring to sleep with him. The disgust in herself for not doing something when she saw the signs. The overwhelming hate in her heart for that despicable man; a drive for vengeance that nearly consumed her, for what _he_ did to…

The girl's tightening fists loosened as she was pulled out of her head by her friend's voice. "Feels so long ago, doesn't it?... Hard to believe it's only been a few months."

Ann smiled. There was something about that man… like he always knew exactly what to say without even knowing it! Those few choice words completely slapped Ann out of her emotional tailspin. The past was the past, and despite the impossible odds stacked against them, everything worked out! Kamoshida confessed everything, the volleyball team was freed from his abuse, she made some life-long friendships, the Phantom Thieves banded together to help the powerless, and even Shiho's supposed to get out of the hospital soon!—Ann looked over to the frizzy haired boy gazing at the horizon; probably just as lost in his own thoughts as she was.—And it's all thanks to him: the quiet new kid with a criminal record that hung around the troublemaking Sakamoto.

He may have stayed that way, in her eyes: that awkward, unassuming character, if he'd never come across her in the subway station. Had Akira not chased her down that day—after the call from Kamoshida—that moment when all she wanted was to be left alone; had that nosey, fugitive new kid not put her wellbeing over all else that day… she may have never truly found herself, or a place where she belonged. He didn't have to help her that day, he had nothing to gain from it. She even told him to buzz-off. But, for some reason, he deemed her worthy of his time. _He_ knew she needed help before _she_ knew she needed help.

Who knows what would've happened if the Phantom Thieves didn't take on Kamoshida. What would she have done without Shiho by her side? Without the closure of defeating Kamoshida? How could she face life with that weight of guilt on her shoulders? The alternatives scared her. A life without Akira… was a life of misery…

Her train of thought was violently derailed when Akira noticed her staring at him. He gave the blonde a quizzical look. "Is… something wrong?"

"Ummm no. No. Nothing in particular. Heh heh heh." The blushing girl said, nervously playing with her hair. "Just lost in my own head there, for a minute."

The boy chuckled. "I hear that." Akira paused, clearly mulling something over. "Hey, you wanna hang out, tomorrow? If you're not busy that is."

Ann felt her heart flutter in her chest. She couldn't think of a better way to spend her Sunday! "Um, s-sure! I'm totally free. Did you have anything specific in mind, or…?"

Akira stroked his chin. "Hmmmm… I dunno. Tell you what, why don't you decide?"

"Are you sure?"

"Sure I'm sure. Surprise me! I may have been living here for a while, but I guarantee you still know the area better than I do! So how 'bout it?"

Ann smiled, giving the boy a confident nod. "Leave it to me!"

"I only have _one_ condition." He said, whipping out a single index finger. "We _both_ get up early!"

"Ugh! Why?" She moaned.

"So we have more time together, of course." He said with a big, heart-melting smile. "Also I'll need to get up extra early to sneak out of the house before Mona wakes up…"

This time, the blonde delivered the quizzical look.

"Listen, I love the little furball, but he's too much, sometimes. He does his best to give me my space when I'm hanging out with you guys, but I still hate having to tell the little guy he can't tag along. Plus, I'm not sure how he'll take it; us spending so much time together, and all… I don't know if you knew this, but…" Akira looked to his left and to his right, before leaning in towards her. "He's kinda got a crush on you." He loudly whispered.

Ann rolled her eyes. "Thanks Akira, I get it…" Smartass…

**Bing**

**Bong**

**Ding**

**Dong**

The two heard the school bell, indicating the end of lunchtime.

"Shoot! Already?" Ann said, checking the time on her phone.

"I'm glad we had this talk! I'm feeling much better about our rehabilitation." The boy said, getting to his feet. "Let me know, sometime tonight, where you want to meet-up tomorrow. Okay?"

"I barely even touched my lunch!" She whined, still hung-up on what time it was.

Akira shrugged. "I've seen you eat. I'm sure you can get _something_ in your system before class starts up again."

"Yeah, you're probabl- H-Hey! What's _that_ supposed to mean?!"

~ ~ ~ AFTERNOON ~ ~ ~

Bzzt

Bzzt

Bzzt

Bzzt

Akira felt the phone vibrate in his pocket. Luckily, the teacher was in the middle of a particularly long stretch of the textbook reading. The boy slipped the phone out from his checkered school pants; holding it stealthily under his desk. It was Futaba. She finally responded to the text he shot her this morning.

AK: Hey, how'd you sleep?

Same as you… :FS

In a prison cell with Ann :P :FS

AK: Wait. You remember?

I remember most of my dreams: FS

It's the only thing that's come out of :FS  
my lucid dream training

Still can't control them, but I'm :FS  
thiiiiiis close to lvling up.  
I can feel it!

AK: Fair enough.

AK: But how did you know it was real?

Easy! My eyes :FS

AK: ?

In my dreams, my eyesight's always :FS  
perfectly fine. So when I woke up in  
that place with my lame starting  
equipment, I knew something was up.

AK: Very sharp!

Mwehehe! Maxed-out perception! :FS  
Expect nothing less from your expert  
navigator!

Also you said it was a dream world… :FS

So it wasn't that hard :FS

2+2=4 :FS

But feel free to praise me anyway! :FS

I'm guessing you've discussed all :FS  
this with Ann, already.

AK: CRITICAL HIT!

The girl practically swooned at the nerdiness of that response.

AK: So, I take it you'll be wanting an  
explanation too?

Eh… not really :FS

I pretty much gathered all the info :FS  
I need from last night

AK: So you know what we got  
to do, then?

Spend a whooooooole lot of :FS  
time together! :D

I'm stocking up on all the best :FS  
co-op titles as we speak.  
So get ready to farm some EXP!

AK: I look forward to it! I've got plans  
for tomorrow, but how's Monday  
sound for you?

Perfect! I gotta get some of these :FS  
puppies physically shipped over  
here, so they should be here  
by then.

AK: I didn't expect you, of all people,  
to be buying their games, Futaba.

The nerve! You think I :FS  
would pirate?!

I'm not a criminal, Akira! :FS

AK: Futaba…

AK: You're a hacker…

For justice, Akira! For justice! :FS

Meanwhile, the girl seated in front of him was also utterly zoned out from the lesson. She wracked her brain for good ideas. Things that Akira would like. Somewhere nice, but fun at the same time. Somewhere she could get laid-No! Damn it! Akira was relying on her for a fun day out, tomorrow, but all her stupid perv brain could think up were ways to get the evening to end with Akira inside her!

Ann's eyes lit-up as her mind happened upon a stroke of genius! Sure, it'd be super weird and sudden for _Ann Takamaki_ and _Akira Kurusu_ to have sex tomorrow. But what if… they _weren't them _when it happened? Yeah… Yeah! She could totally make this work! But it's going to take some serious planning, and maybe even some rehearsal.

Ann smiled to herself.

Just you wait…

Joker…

* * *

I say "Expo!" You say "Sition!"

Expo!

[Sition!]

Expo!

[Sition!]

* * *

Immersion breaking author's notes!

I've taken some liberties with Akira, as the actual Akira is a six-foot plank of wood painted anime, and planks of wood do not transfer well into third-person, character focused, back-'n-forth style narratives. There are quite a few snarky dialogue choices Akira has in-game, which I fucking love, so I've upped his snark value considerably, and now we're left with this fucking goofball.

I hope I'm doing the rest of the cast justice in terms of characterization, though. Since only one person is in charge of both sides of the conversation, it can be easy to make an exchange between two people sound like they're the same person. I have a particular way of speaking, so I hope that doesn't bleed too noticeably into the characters.

I'm sorry if there are inconsistencies. Persona 5 is so fucking jam-packed with content, it's _really_ hard to juggle it all convincingly within the confines of a smutfic. I do my best!

* * *

I'm SO fucking glad this site has banned fun with creative formatting! It's not like I spent a lot of time spacing out the text message segments to look like a text conversation or anything! No, its fine! if they allowed extra spaces, that's a slippery slope to the destruction of the site as a whole!


	3. Ann Interesting Proposal

Bzzzzzzzzzzt

Bzzzzzzzzzzt

Bzzzzzzzzzzt

Bzzzzzzzzzzt

Akira awoke to the vibrations of his phone, the device's incessant buzzing tingling the base of his neck through the thin fabric of his pillowcase. Akira propped himself up, looking down at the still slumbering cat curled up near the edge of his mattress, torso slowly rising and falling, completely unphased by the continuous buzzing. The alarm he hid the night prior, a silent alarm only he would wake up to, was a complete success!

The boy reached into his pillow, ceasing the vibrations with a few swipes of the screen. He smiled to himself, taking pride in his successful planning abilities, despite its simplicity. Sharing a single-room living space for 6 months can tell you a lot about a person. You learn all their little quirks and habits from pure exposure, even if they're a talking cat. One of them was the strange way Morgana slept. Morgana was a pretty heavy sleeper, at least for a cat. Loud, jarring sounds could get him on his feet pretty easily, but for some reason, that never applied for motion. He was pretty sure Mona caught a good amount of Z's while jostling around in his bag. He wouldn't be surprised if the cat could sleep through a full-blown earthquake right under Leblanc.

Better safe than sorry, Akira still took his time to slip out of bed with as little movement as possible, trying not to stir the mattress too much. And if he even so much as grazed his roommate's fur, it was game over. Akira sat on the edge of his bed, breathing a mental sigh of relief as he looked down at the still slumbering cat beside him,

Pi

Pi

Pi

Pi

SHIT!

Akira hammered the volume down button, but by the time the ringer was silenced, the damage was already done. Akira's gaze snapped back down to the stirring ball of black and white fir beside him.

"Mmnngh… Akira…" The cat sleepily groaned, lifting his head from his fuzzy arm cradle. "You got a messa-" the cat froze, face painted in surprise as his gaze locked with the very-much awake boy sitting next to him. "Oh, looks like you're already up."

"Seems that way." Akira said, a twinge of annoyance in his tone as he swiped across his phone screen. Who was it? Who blew his cover? What was so damn important for him to know, that it needed to be done this early in the damn morning!?

…Ann? This early?

It was a text message from Ann about a café in Shinjuku—thankfully outside the Red-Light District. Yesterday, he told her to text him the location sometime after school. What was with this last-minute heads-up? Ann usually wasn't one to procrastinate. What the hell had she been doing all night?

Morgana yawned, slowly getting to his feet. "So, what's the plan today?" He grunted through his cat-like stretches.

Akira continued to look down at his phone, still reading Ann's rather lengthy morning message. "I've, uh, got plans with Ann, today." He said, the secret naturally flowing from his mouth thanks to his distracted state. Akira nearly bit his tongue when his own words reached his ears.

The cat's ears perked up. "Lady Ann, you say?" He said, white tipped tail flicking side to side. "Great! Mind if I tag along?"

"I'd rather you sit this one out, buddy…" The boy said, nervously scratching his face.

The cat's posture noticeably deflated at those words. "Aww. Why not?"

Akira paused. Morgana was acting a bit pushier than usual, and Akira didn't really account for having to answer follow-ups.

_Think Think Think _

"You're… too much fun to be around! Yeah." The boy finally said, not exactly a skilled on-the-spot liar.

The blue-eyed feline cocked his head at this sudden—though, not entirely untrue—remark.

"You see, me and Ann have this really big English assignment that's due pretty soon—you know how Ann is with English—and I'm just afraid that she'll keep getting distracted by your radiant charm and charisma."

"Heh, well I'm glad _someone_ around here can see it." Morgana said with a smile, his tone filled with a cocky swagger, clearly buying into the shameless stroke to his ego. It wasn't long before the cat's ears drooped once more as his mind refocused on Lady Ann. "But still… I can be quiet. I can even stay in your bag the entire time." The cat said, his ears lowering even more. "I just really want to go see Lady Ann."

Akira rubbed the back of his neck. 'Jeez, extra persistent today, huh Mona?' The boy sighed, he didn't want to have to pull this card, but Morgana wasn't leaving him with much of a choice. Akira smiled softly at his roommate. "If you hang out here for today, I'll be sure to bring home some fatty tuna for you."

The cat's ears noticeably shot up at those words. "You know what, you go on ahead. I need to catch up on my beauty sleep anyway." Morgana said, curling back up on the bed, trying to mask his obvious excitement.

Akira couldn't help but chuckle at the cat's complete 180. "Thanks, bud. You'll get to see her at school again, tomorrow."

Down the stairs and out the door to the subway station he went. Thankfully, Akira arrived at the platform just as the train was arriving. The boy swiftly joined the mass of bodies piling into the subway car. Though the ride there wasn't particularly lengthy, the discomfort of forcibly pressing shoulder to shoulder with the other riders definitely added more than a few minutes to the perceived length of the journey. By this point, Akira had become accustomed to the crowded subways of Tokyo, but this one felt especially cramped! The boy felt like a canned sardine, pressed on all sides by hot, clammy bodies, not a centimeter of wiggle room to be had. "This place better be good, Ann." Akira grumbled under his breath.

"Now arriving at Shinjuku station." Chimed the cheerful, prerecorded woman as Akira felt the train begin to slow to a stop. "Please stand clear of the opening doors."

As he walked out of the station, Akira took a deep, cleansing breath, the moderately crowded sidewalks of the busy city feeling like a wide-open range after what he just went through. As much as he'd like to take a moment to enjoy this new-found freedom, he had a date-wait, no. slip of the tongue. A… meet-up to catch! Akira punched the address Ann sent him into his phone's GPS app. Luckily for him, it was only a few minutes' walk from the station.

Akira approached the innocuous building his GPS had led him, the words Hashino Café printed across the glass of the sleek looking double doors. This was the place. Akira spent a few minutes wandering the café, scanning the tables and booths for a twin-tailed blonde as he leisurely passed. It was a big place, crowded too. Almost every seat in the house was filled; seeing more than a few parties content with just standing around or leaning on walls with food in hand.

Seeing no sign of his invitor, Akira pulled out his phone. Before he could even begin to type, a familiar voice called from behind him. "Akira! Over here! Good Morning!" Ann hollered, just loud enough to break through the consistent rumble of a thousand intertwining conversations. She sounded much bouncier than he was anticipating, at least for this early in the morning.

Akira quickly turned to face the voice, catching Ann's high-waving hand coming from one of the wall-mounted dining stalls. Words failed to return her greeting as his eyes fell upon her brightly smiling face. He felt his cheeks begin to grow warmer as he walked closer to her.

Ann… had her hair down. He'd… never seen her without her iconic floofy pigtails before. Wonderful, shiny platinum locks running down her neck and back like a waterfall of golden silk. Who knew such a simple shift in hairstyle could make someone look that much more stunning?

"H-Hey, Ann." Akira finally replied as he approached her table, still practically gawking at the aqua-eyed beauty.

It didn't take long for Ann to notice the boy's unusual expression. Ann sighed. "It's the hair, right?" She said, timidly playing with a long, golden strand. "This early bird stuff must be messing with my head. I was so scatterbrained this morning, I forgot to put my hair up before I left the house." She rubbed the back of her neck, an embarrassed smile growing on her face. "By the time I was awake enough to notice, I was already on the train."

Akira laughed. "Are you kidding? You look great!" He said, seizing the opportunity to compliment her without it seeming weird.

"You really think so?" Ann said thoughtfully, looking over the tuft that lay in in her hand. "Guess I should wear it like this more often, then!" She beamed.

Woah… not exactly the response he was expecting. He certainly wouldn't _mind_ seeing more of it. But why would the literal model take hair maintenance advice from him, of all people: Frizzy-hair McGee?

Ann had already stockpiled her side of the table with plates full of hot pastries and other sugary sweets. So now it was Akira's turn to get his own breakfast. Despite the very real risk of table snatchers, Ann insisted on accompanying Akira to the café queue, praying that her jacket and food would be enough to deter any table seekers. She came to be with Akira and by god that's what she was gonna do!

Ann reveled in the closeness they shared while in line, her arm occasionally brushing past his skin 'on accident.' Akira found it a little uncomfortable, though not from distaste. It was the kind of heart-fluttering discomfort he'd feel from sharing his personal space with any cute girl. Apart from the nerves, he didn't hate the closeness either.

The two engaged in casual conversation the whole time as Akira got his food and the two returned to their booth, taking their seats opposite one another. Ann and Akira wasted no time biting into their new breakfast, enjoying the company they shared. The two cheerfully chatted with one another in the brief windows between mouthfuls, at least for Akira. Ann didn't seem to have any trouble speaking with her mouth full. Understanding her, on the other hand, was a bit more troublesome. That was… until Ann suddenly went quiet, her face weighed down in deep thought as she stared at her plate.

"Akira…" She finally said. "Is it selfish to use our Phantom Thieving to help out loved ones?"

Akira took a swig of the bland café coffee. Months of Boss's Leblanc quality roasts and blends must've spoiled his tongue. "A question like that doesn't come without a story behind it." He said, casually. "Shoot. What's on your mind?"

"It's… kind of a long story." She said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"I've got nothing but time." Akira quickly retorted, leaning forward onto his elbows, his smile bordering a fine line between comforting and shit-eating. He really did care about her problems, but he also knew how annoying of a response that was.

Ann gave an exasperated sigh. She'd known Akira for long enough to know how much of a stubborn mule the man was. That tenacity works well when leading a vigilante combat squad through enemy-filled mazes, but it kinda loses its charm when he's willing to die on the most trivial of hills, here in the real world. "Alright, I guess we're doing this." She said, hesitantly rubbing her hands together. "So, you remember what I said about my parents, right? How I live with caretakers?"

"Mm-hm."

"Okay, so—without getting too hung up on the details—Chi-chan, erm… sorry, force of habit. Her name is Chiyako. Chiyako Motozawa. She's a caretaker of mine, and the best one by far!" Ann said, her sheepishness quickly melting away as she spoke about her wonderful caregiver.

Akira gave her a funny look as he set down his paper coffee cup. "You say that like there's a lot of competition."

Ann looked confused.

"Exactly how many caretakers do you have?"

"At once or in total?"

Akira glared at her.

"What?!" She barked defensively. "I've got four that rotate through weekly shifts—one at a time."

"That's… an odd way to do it."

"My parents are… a little paranoid- look, that's not the point. Chi-chan went through a nasty divorce pretty recently, and her rebound is a complete and total asshat! A deadbeat mooch who lives off her hard work and still treats her like trash!" Ann's fist came hammering down onto the tabletop, the sharp thud accompanied by the clinking of porcelain as the plates shifted from the table's impact, earning the teens a handful of curious looks from the tables around them. Thankfully, the busyness of the café did a good job of masking Ann's scene from most of the café's patrons.

Ann's shoulders were squared with muscles tensed tightly, her chest rising and falling as she attempted to steady her temper. Akira gave her a small smile, sliding the plate of cookies he'd been saving over to her side of the table. Ann looked down at the offering, then back to Akira. She cracked a smile. She even laughed a bit. She couldn't help it. The way he could cheer her up so wordlessly was almost a joke in and of itself.

"Sho dash da shtory." Ann concluded, mouth full of cookie.

"That wasn't that long of a story."

Ann swallowed the contents of her mouth. "Yeah. That's because you got the short version. I obviously left a lot out, for both of our sakes." She said, a not-insignificant amount of annoyance in her tone. "You know, Akira, when a girl says, 'it's a long story' it means she doesn't want to talk about it."

Akira gave her the same smug yet supportive smile. "I am aware, yes." Akira whipped out his phone, pulling up the meta-nav with a few taps of his thumb. "Got a name?"

"Uh, yeah. It's Tsuramatsu Matsuura. D-Does that mean you'll do it?"

"I don't see any harm in giving our little Matsu-Matsu a friendly visit. We do phantom work for randos online, so there's no way we're letting down one of our own!"

Ann smiled wide. "You could've just started with that, you jerk! Why'd you have to get so personal if you were set on doing it from the start?"

"Reconnaissance, my dear! A mission without intel, is a mission doomed to fail." Akira took another swig of coffee. "Plus it's not good for you to keep yourself bottled up like that. We're friends, you can be open with me; you _should_ be open with me. Everyone on the team cares about you, Ann. Your problems are our problems." Akira fell silent, the slight heat of embarrassment running up his body. He didn't mean to get that sappy. But he meant every word.

"Everyone on the team, huh?" She said softly, more to herself than Akira.

"Is… something wrong?"

"Look, this completely goes against what you just said, but can I ask you for a big favor?"

"That depends…?" He said with a hint of unease.

"Do you think… we could… maybe... go alone?" She said, her voice decreasing in both confidence and volume with every new word. "It's just so personal!" She began again, answering the question she knew was coming. "I don't feel comfortable getting them involved with my own personal family matters. I'm not too comfortable with _you_ getting involved. That's why I've been sitting on the issue for so long."

Akira sat in silence for a moment, mulling over the ins and outs of her heartfelt proposal. "It'll be a little risky without back-up, buuut if you think you'll be able to hold your own…" like a light switch, Akira's mild-mannered attitude flipped to Joker's confident theatrics, "then I'll gladly fight by your side!" Another flick of the switch. "After breakfast, of course."

* * *

For those of you who think it's odd that I chose to focus on Ann's lack of pigtails, I have one question for you:

"Have you seen Ann with her hair down?!"

It's a cosmetic option in Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight and it makes her look twice as stunning. Seriously, look that shit up on google images if you've never seen it.

* * *

I can't wait for Persona 5 Royal to expand on Ann's home life and completely destroy my interpretation of her caretaker situation.

No idea why accuracy to the source material is so important to me in my fucking smutfics. I'm sure we would've gotten to the sex by now if I didn't have an obsessive compulsion to make everything feel in-universe. I really do envy the people who can give, like, a paragraph of set-up and just make the characters fuck. While I'm here like: "No! It must be part of an intricate narrative with 200 pages of exposition before even a single titty comes out!"


	4. Eye of the Panther ESC

"My, my. I sense that things are about to get quite interesting. I must advise the rest of those tracking our prisoners' rehabilitation that **explicit sexual content** may lay ahead."

"Any pansies who're afraid of a little sex can check the bottom of the page for a full list of sexual tags or warnings. Take your time; it's not like we have jobs to do, or anything."

"Though we welcome you to come in to the experience blind, we shall not force you."

* * *

The two tried their best to enjoy the rest of their breakfast together, but the looming presence of their impending mission made maintaining a casual atmosphere… more difficult, to say the least. After finding a secluded place relatively near the subway, Akira punched the magic word into the meta-nav.

"En route to Mementos." Chirped the pleasant female voice as reality melted away into a sea of red and black. After a few blinks, Joker found himself unceremoniously standing in the middle of Mementos' top-most level. The small room was unsettlingly quiet without the rest of the gang around. He could feel the chilly breeze of the labyrinth wafting from the escalator shafts leading down into the dark, railroad catacombs. The unsettling whispers carried by the winds of Mementos seemed denser than usual. Joker felt a hand fall on his shoulder, spooking him within an inch of summoning Arsene. He was so preoccupied with the wind that he'd forgotten he brought along Panther.

His jump made her pull away like a hand from a hot stove. "Oops! Sorry. Probably should've said something before I grabbed you like that."

Joker looked at her, surprised—and a bit disappointed—to see her hair back in its normal pigtail state. Apparently that was part of her phantom suit.

~ ~ ~ AFTERNOON ~ ~ ~

Without Mona with them, the Phantom Duo had to hoof it to Matsuura's den of corruption. Luckily, with only two people—or more importantly, without a large cat vehicle barreling down the tracks—sneaking past the common shadows was relatively easy.

Panther was getting a bit nervous. When should she make her move? Should she even do it at all? The atmosphere of going after someone so personal to Ann made the thought of seduction feel… inappropriate. Before she could make her choice, they had arrived.

* * *

"Hm? What do you want? I'm a busy man." The Matsuura shadow said.

"We're the Phantom Thieves. You should have a pretty good idea why we're here." Panther growled.

"Phantom Thieves, huh?" The shadowy figure stroked his chin in mock contemplation. "Can't say it rings any bells…"

Panther's leather gloves creaked under her tightening fists "Oh yeah? How about Chiyako? That ring any bells for ya, you bastard?!"

The name seemed to catch him a bit off guard. "Wait. _That_ dusty old broad? That's what this is about?" He couldn't help but laugh. "Thank God! I thought I might've gotten into some real fucked-up shit while black-out drunk! There must've been a mix-up down at the Phantom Offices, kids. Chiyako loves me!"

"You abuse her!" Panthers snapped.

"You say tomayto, I say tomahto. How I treat my women is my business. And if anyone's suffering, it's me. The woman's bordering on 50. Guys aint looking for used goods past their expiration date. They're looking for hot young babes like yourself, sweetie. I'm doing the old lady a kindness, spending _my_ valuable time being with _her_!"

"Your _valuable time_ sitting on your ass and getting drunk while _she_ does all the work!? You're a leech! Feeding off the money _she_ earns!"

"What, women aren't allowed to be the breadwinner of the family? It's [Current Year] for Christ sake! I thought the youth were supposed to be more progressive. Besides, it's my well-earned compensation for all the lost time I've sunk on her. I've only got a finite amount of it on this planet. Is it so unreasonable to expect a reward for my sacrifice?"

"You're a despicable sorry excuse for a man!" She said, readying her whip. "The Phantom Thieves will take your heart, and make you confess your sins with your own mouth!"

"So the kitten's here to scrape me. That's a shame." Tutted Matsuura's shadow. "I was under the impression you were here for a lap-dance. That tight ass is just begging to be groped."

"Nngh, gross!" she yelled, a wave of heebie-jeebies traveling up her spine.

Matsuura's shadow laughed maniacally "Hey, I'm not the one who put you in fetish gear!" He continued to laugh as his human form bent backwards, his body melting and molding into its true form: an Ippon-Datara. The one-legged blacksmith towered over them, a single, glowing eye peeking out through the brass plating that wrapped his head. Before the fight could begin, two more shadows burst from the black puddles forming on the floor, causing the Phantom Duo to jump back. These two new shadows stood between the Thieves and Shadow Matsuura.

"Of course." Panther spat, contempt dripping from each syllable. "Just like the real Matsuura: talking a big game, just to have other people do his work for him."

"It's called utilizing my resources, sweetcheeks." Matsuura's shadow said, his voice now metallic and severely distorted. "It's not too late to ditch Phantom of the Opera over there, and take this back to my place. It's been too long since I've plowed an eager young _slut_."

Panther leaped into action, a raging inferno burning behind her eyes. "HAAAA!" She belted as her whip snapped clean across the left-most shadow's jaw, sending it tumbling across the cold concrete before dissolving into black mist. The red-clad blonde slung the whip over her shoulder, giving the two remaining shadows a backward glance. "Alright boys, who's next?" She said, the tiniest smirk stretched across her lips. Matsuura's shadow backed away slightly, while the shadow on his right seemed unfazed by her display of strength. It dove at her; its sharp, bird-like talons primed for striking. "Oops! Not quite!" The girl taunted, gracefully cartwheeling out of the winged beast's way.

Joker couldn't take his eyes off her. Not only were her moves incredible, but all this dodging and weaving made her… feminine assets bounce and jiggle within their skin-tight latex confinements. Damn cognitive world; Ann was already hot enough in reality. But _no_! Her rebellious spirit just _had_ to put her in a sexy, kitty-themed, skin-tight body suit with thigh-high stripper boots and a god damn cleavage window! With the way she's moving, maybe a zipper will come loose and he could get a peek-

"JOKER!" Panther cried, just as her second opponent's remains dissolved into the air. Before he could look to where she was pointing, Joker was decked in the face by a massive steel hammer, launching him flat onto his back. The white-hot pain filling his facial tissue was quick to subside to tolerable levels—one of the perks of fighting in the metaverse being the different way pain worked—but the shock of the impact had still left the boy periodically blinded.

He propped up his torso, leaning back on his elbows, as the stars clouding his senses began to fade. He saw Matsuura's towering shadow approach his disoriented, laid-out form. It took a certain voice to fully drag him back to reality.

"STAY AWAY FROM HIM!" Panther belted. Hundreds of sparks began to pop from around the ground Matsuura stood before he disappeared from Joker's sight behind a wall of fire. Joker reflexively scooted away from the flames nearly licking his feet. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Panther joined by Carmen's ghostly essence; a sexy, laissez-faire smirk to the spirit's lips, she barely looked as if she were giving any effort as Matsuura's shadow was engulfed in a spiraling pillar of raging inferno.

Carmen blew Joker a kiss before fading back into Panther's body; as the Persona faded, so too did the pillar of flames. Panther fell to her knees in recoil of the sheer effort put into the attack. Matsuura's shadow was still standing as the flames sputtered out. His breath was heavy, clearly too damaged to make any quick movements; the metal parts of his body were misshapen and glowing red-hot. Joker couldn't get up, the landing completely threw-out his back. Joker aimed his model pistol and fired. The bullet traveled straight through the shadow's forehead, the soft, melting metal easily giving way to the projectile rocketing out the back of his heated copper skull. With a cry of pain, the one-legged blacksmith crumbled into a black goop that swiftly returned Matsuura's shadow back to his human form.

Panther had seemingly found some sort of second wind, because she was on her feet. "Akir-Joker! Oh my god! Are you alright?" She cried, sprinting over to be at his side.

Joker slowly sat himself up, clutching his back. "Nothing that a little Diarama can't patch-up." He said, forcing a smile to try and ease her worry.

"I'm… I'm a weakling. A weakling and a coward!" Matsuura's shadow began to speak as Carmen healed the Phantom Duo up.

Panther stared daggers into the pitiful man slumped over on the floor. A torrent of curses and scorn flooded into her mind, insults overlapping one another to a state of incomprehensibility; a tempest of unbridled, concentrated hatred… but in the end, all her mouth could muster was the word: "Why?"

"I wanted to be a tough guy, okay!?" He snapped, tears welling up in his eyes. "Everyone else in my life has stepped on me! I just wanted to be the one who does the stepping for once! I don't like being the way I am to Chiyako, I don't! But if I ever let up on it, it'd just show her my weakness!"

Panther ground her teeth. This Matsuura was even more aggravating! The bastard didn't deserve pity, not even self-pity! "You leeched off her! You sit here crying about wanting to act like a big man! You know what big men have? Jobs! Get a job, you bum!"

"I _had_ a job! I was another pencil pusher; an office jockey. But when I met Chiyako and found out she was making decent money, I quit! I quit because I was tired of being pushed around! You don't understand! You're still young! You have _no idea_ how soul-crushing the monotonous, corporate nine-to-five business world is!"

"Do you love her?" Joker said stoically, towering over the man's crumpled form. Matsuura's shadow looked up at him, feeling no sympathy coming from behind the shadowy teenager's mask. "Do you love her?" He repeated.

"…O-Of course I love her…"

Akira offered the shadow a hand, helping him back to his feet. "Then prove it to her. You want to know what true strength is? It's the will to keep trying. Even if you've failed before, and you're afraid to fail again, you can't give into that fear. If you truly love her, it's time to start treating her right."

"I… I will… Thank you…"

* * *

As they began their long trek back to the entrance, Joker's parting words to Matsuura played over and over in Panther's head.

'_Even if you've failed before, and you're afraid to fail again, you can't give into that fear.'_

'_you can't give into that fear.'_

'_you can't give into that fear.'_

He was right, of course. Fear was the only thing holding her back. It was time to take the leap. "So… Matsuura really took you by surprise, huh?"

Joker scratched his face. "Uh… yeah." He said, a twinge of shame in his tone.

"Weird. You're usually never _that_ off your guard. What had you so distracted?"

"O-Oh, um, uh, well, i-it's-uh, you see…" Joker stammered out, wracking his brain for a believable cover story.

Panther laughed, slowing her pace to a stop and turning to face him. She leaned forward, hands on hips, with a big, toothy grin on her face. "Because I think I have a _pretty good_ idea."

Joker stood motionless—back stiff as a board—as he focused all his willpower on keeping his eyes off her bare cleavage. "What ever could you mean?"

Panther's smile only grew. It was almost intoxicating how easily her leader—the stoic and stylish Phantom Thief of Hearts—could be put under the thumb of her feminine charm; so hopelessly inexperienced with girls that a single hint of a flirt made the boy melt into a stammering puddle. "Fine. Act all high and mighty. But let me let you in on a little industry secret…" Panther looked to her left and to her right, before leaning in towards him. "Girls can totally tell when guys are checking them out." She loudly whispered. "We just pretend not to notice."

Joker could feel his face heat up. "S-Slander! I-I am insulted at this… this baseless accusation!" the pure panic of the situation had shattered his concentration and his eyes flicked down to her cleavage before Joker could course-correct his gaze back to her face. His heartrate nearly doubled as he saw the knowing smirk grow on her face. She totally noticed!

"Uh oh, your cover's blown." She taunted in a juvenile, singsong tone. "For what it's worth, you were the best at hiding it, sneaking in little peeks when you thought I wasn't looking. Certainly more subtle than Ryuji."

"Has Ryuji ever been subtle?" Joker quipped—almost instinctively—before he could even recall what it was she was referring to.

Panther chuckled. "I never said it was a _high_ bar to clear."

A bead of sweat rolled down Joker's back. This was inconceivably embarrassing, but she didn't seem mad at him either. She hadn't stopped smiling. This was probably some sort of bonding milestone. This kind of teasing must be normal for close friends of the opposite sex, especially from a gorgeous model who probably gets gawked at daily. She'd just never felt comfortable voicing it in front of the whole gang. Joker felt content with his foolproof rationalization of events and was able to regain a bit of his shattered composure. _A bit_.

"But, I mean, even Yusuke takes longer looks than you. Yusuke! The gentleman!"

Joker felt his cool waver as the kitty-clad girl crossed into his personal space. Social instinct told him to step back, but fear and subconscious desire kept him rooted in place. "I mean, he's an artist." Joker said, craning his neck back in a weak attempt at maintaining a comfortable distance. "He's probably just… studying your figure."

"Oh really? Then he must have my ass committed to memory by now, because that's all he ever looks at. But you, Joker…" Panther's smile turned hungry, closing what little distance remained between the two. "You're a tits guy." She purred. Joker could feel the woman's hot breath against his neck as her hands fell onto his shoulders, her breasts just barely brushing against his chest. "I'm a little hurt you don't look at me more often." She playfully pouted.

Her touch was torture! Covered head to toe in layers of thick fabric, Joker could only imagine how soft her skin was; the warmth of her touch against his body. Joker's cool crumbled to unsalvageable dust, finally taking a step back. He may have been a supervirgin, but he wasn't an idiot. He could tell this had gone beyond playful teasing; beyond just poking fun at him for a giggle. "A-Ann… You can't be serious."

"Who's Ann?" Panther said, tilting her head in playful confusion before taking a step back into the boy's personal bubble. "I'm Panther: the strong warrior and master seductress!"

"Yes yes. You've proven your point! I am well and truly seduced! Good joOORB!" Joker's voice spiked up an octave as Panther cupped his crotch, rubbing her nimble hand up and down as she gave the considerable erection a good feel through his trousers.

"You weren't kidding!" She said with a giggle. "But I think I can do better. You wanna know another secret?" Her voice had fallen to a sultry purr. "My phantom suit doesn't come with underwear. That's right. Every mission; every battle, I've been going full commando. And…" She added, playing with one of the metal tabs dangling from her chest. "These zippers aren't just for show, either." Panther's smile widened as she felt his member twitching from the mental image she implanted.

The blushing boy stood frozen as Panther continued to rub the bulge through his pants. His eyes darted around the dark subway tunnel as his mind raced in a desperate attempt to explain the situation.

Panther rolled her eyes. "Joker! I'm literally asking for it! Here." She grabbed his hand, peeling off his glove before placing it on her tit. "I. Want. To. Have. Sex. With. You. Jo. Ker." She said, stressing each syllable. "I want it _so bad!_" She felt a jolt of excitement as she felt him give her breast a subtle squeeze. She'd never had a hand that wasn't her own fondle her before, it was thrilling!

Joker quickly shook off his other glove and placed it on the unoccupied breast. The skin-tight latex was warm to the touch. Metaverse magic? Panther's natural body heat? It didn't matter; all Joker could comprehend was how amazing it felt. He avoided going anywhere near the bare skin of her cleavage window, in the off-chance that skin-to-skin groping was going too far too fast.

Panther could feel her heart race, pounding against her ribcage. Her head was swimming in an intoxicating cocktail of embarrassment and excitement as Joker's stare was locked to her chest, a laser-focused gaze worthy of bomb defusal. A few minutes passed. It became clear that he wasn't making a move any time soon. She was a little annoyed that explicit, vocal consent wasn't enough for Joker to Take Over the situation. Panther slipped her free hand under her left boob, making Joker retract his hands like a startled deer. "It's getting awfully stuffy in this suit." She said, slowly running her finger up the teeth of her tit zipper. She grabbed the metal tab before pulling it back down at the same torturously slow speed.

Joker stared intently as the skin hugging fabric fell away, centimeter by centimeter, until the zipper reached her midriff.

Panther felt her nipple tingle; quickly stiffening as the cool draft of the subway shafts tickled her breast. She felt her face grow hotter as her leader stared hungrily at the newly exposed flesh. She must have hit a nerve, because—with all the swiftness of a phantom thief—Joker swooped down to take her tit into his mouth, forcing her hand to withdraw from his junk. His hands landed just below her armpits, holding her in a firm grip as he sucked at her breast. Panther flinched, stifling a moan at the brand new sensations. His mouth was so warm, she never felt anything like it. The way his soft lips danced across her forbidden mound; the way he sucked so hard on her teat, stimulating every nerve in her sensitive nipple, it made her weak in the legs! "Ooh! Hoh my god!" Panther moaned as Joker's tongue flicked her nipple. Panther's hands snapped onto Jokers head, feeling his hair between her fingers as she pulled him harder into her breast.

Joker felt around her right boob, following the metal seam to the zipper's top. He swiftly pulled the tab down, setting her other tit free. He caressed his hand around her soft flesh, appreciating the size and firmness of her assets, before closing in on the bullseye. He took the nipple into his grasp, pinching and rolling the hardening nub in his fingers. Joker's tongue mercilessly attacked her other nub, making the blonde moan openly.

"Okay… Okay. Uncle. Time out." Panther breathed, tapping at the boy's head.

Joker pulled himself away, a thin string of saliva connecting his tongue with her breast. "Did I… do something wrong?" He said through heavy breaths.

"Nope." She said, dropping to her knees. "It's just your turn." Panther peeled off her own gloves. She made quick work of his pant fasteners, spreading his fly wide open to be met with a pair of comfortable looking, blood-red briefs. She caressed the crotch, it was soft to the touch. "Why do _you guys_ get underwear?" She said with a laugh. Panther hooked a finger under the elastic waistband and pulled it down to rest under his balls. Joker's cock stood rigid. A head slick and glistening with layers of excitement pointed to her nose, peeking half-way out from the dark foreskin. "Oh my god. You're _soooo_ big!" She said with a smile, wrapping her hand around his shaft. She was no expert on dicks, but Joker _was_ a _little_ bigger than she pictured, but not by much. Telling a sexual partner they have a big cock is just good manners; it's the male equivalent of 'does this dress make me look fat?'

Joker flinched as she took the head into her grasp, sliding what foreskin remained back into the shaft. His lower muscles clenched as her fingers glided across his crown, rolling her hand around his slippery dome like she was polishing a golf ball.

Panther began to jack him off, but was met with some resistance. His pre wasn't quite enough to lube his entire dick. Reluctantly, she spit into her palm and lathered it around his cock. Wet schlicking sounds bounced around the tunnel walls as Panther jerked him off in a tight, frictionless grip. "You're sooo waarm." She gushed, watching his head continuously pop out before slipping back into her fist.

Panther worked the shaft as she grew bolder, showering his sensitive head in kisses. She placed a long kiss at the very tip, quickly turning it into something else entirely as she leaned herself forward. Joker groaned as his meat slid past her lips and into the hot embrace of her mouth. She stopped her advance as his glands popped past her lips. She cradled his crown with her tongue, running the bumpy muscle along the bottom of his cock as she sucked; subtly bobbing her head for that extra bit of stimulation.

Joker was overwhelmed with sensation, not even enough presence of mind to announce his approaching climax. He mentally apologized to Ann as his damn broke, shooting ropes of cum onto the blond girl's tongue. Panther's eyes shot open as she pulled away, getting some ropes across her mask and tits for the trouble. The boy's legs failed him, falling hard onto his back, as he shot the final ropes onto the cold subway floor.

Panther spit whatever cum she could out onto the ground, but the subtle taste of salty semen still lingered on her tongue. Whatever she missed, she was forced to swallow.

Joker's post-nut euphoria was short-lived; it didn't take long for his thoughts to clear up and the weight of his actions to hit him like a bullet train. He crawled over to the kneeling blonde. "Ann! I'm so sorry! D-Do you need something to drink?" Joker opened his tailcoat and peered inside. "I've got, uuh, Dr. Salt, muscle tea, coffee, Oh! Got some water too!"

Panther lifted her head, a guilty smile on her lips. "Don't be silly. It's my bad, really. What did I think was going to happen? It's just something I've always wanted to try, y'know? And it's a lot more fun than it sounds. You should try it sometime!"

"I'll take your word for it."

Panther laughed. "No, but I do actually want that water." Panther's eyes caught Joker's drooping phallus as he dipped his arm into his tailcoat's inner pocket. "Hey! You're getting soft? I'm not done with you yet!"

Joker handed her her water. "Yeah. I can only shoot my shot once a day." Joker got to his feet, feeling his legs shakily supporting his weight as he stretched. "Welp. Mission complete. Time to go home." Joker took a few steps away. He peeked behind him, waiting for some kind of reaction, but she didn't move. He walked back over to her. "Panther, I'm kidding. I just have to recharge; reload the chamber. It'll take 20 minutes."

She looked up at him. "Are you serious?" Panther said, a hint of annoyance in her tone. She felt the sides of her mouth begin to curl. That satisfied 'gotcha' smirk on his face was too cute to stay mad at. "You're so mean!" she said with a laugh. "I actually believed you!"

Joker helped the blonde back to her feet, wiping away the lingering cum from her mask and breasts with a red silk handkerchief. "Consider it payback for the anxiety attack you nearly gave me, today."

Panther smiled. "That's fair."

A distant groaning noise echoed down the subway tunnels. "We should probably continue this somewhere else." Joker said, stuffing his meat back into his pants. "There's a saferoom just up a level." Joker grabbed Panther by the hand and started to move. The blonde stumbled from behind as he pulled her along.

"H-Hey! At least let me zip myself up, first!"

* * *

Panther fidgeted in the cold, plastic seating of the rest area. "Do we_ have_ to do it here?" She whined, staring out across the subway tracks. Mementos' saferooms were unique: a simple subway boarding platform with a glass enclosed waiting booth in its center. Trains came barreling down the tracks every few minutes. Opposite the two active railways sat an identical boarding platform, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with shadowy silhouettes waiting for their train to who-knows-where. "I know they're not real people, but still. I don't like the idea of being watched like this."

"Leave it to me." Joker said, a confident swagger on his tongue as he turned to face the train tracks. "Persona!" Joker summoned one of his many Personas. With a swish of his hand, a thin sheet of ice rose from the ground. The barrier spanned wall-to-wall of their subway platform, completely sealing them off from the active railways. "Better?" He said with a smile, his Persona dissipating back into his body.

Panther smiled back. "Much."

Joker joined her in the waiting booth, taking a seat opposite her. "Soooo…" He droned, drumming his fingers on his knees. "I'm ready to… continue. If you want to."

"I do." She said, almost condescendingly. He was still so timid, she thought he'd be more comfortable by this point. "But, you know what?" Panther said, removing the fasteners in her hair, letting her platinum locks roll down onto her shoulders. "I'm not gonna hold your hand anymore. You're the leader of the Phantom Thieves. You've gotta make the call on how to enter my 'palace' and steal my heart."

Joker rose from his seat. Panther spread her legs, eying his crotch as he approached. She was surprised to see him drop to his knees. Joker grabbed the tab of her center zipper, pulling it from the cleavage all the way down to her taint. He spread open the latex flaps, letting her tits pop out. Joker planted kisses across both of her breasts before making the descent down her body. Kiss after kiss, he made a line down her torso. He felt her tummy rise and fall with her breathing until he dove even deeper, continuing past her pelvis, before finally reaching his target. He couldn't see a clitoris, but he knew, generally, where it was supposed to be. He must have at least gotten close, because he felt her body tense up as he landed his final kiss on the top of her lower lips. Encouraged, Joker spread her lips with his thumbs, revealing her hidden pleasure buzzer. He slipped his tongue past his puckered lips and tickled her nub with the tip of it. Feeling her body react to his efforts was extremely fulfilling. Ann was right; this was pretty fun!

With a parting kiss to her clit, Joker went even lower. His thumbs traveled with him, pulling open her folds to locate her opening. Joker slithered his tongue inside her pussy, making the blonde finally break as she openly cried out in pleasure. She was tight, squeezing his mouth muscle from all sides as he blindly wriggled his tongue around her vaginal cavity. He had no idea what he was doing…

She didn't taste great… She had an undeniable hint of sweetness to her, but it had to compete with a muted, almost coppery taste. But she probably tasted better than his johnson and she put _that_ in her mouth, so this was the least he could do! Joker peeked upwards to see Panther thoroughly enjoying herself. She had her eyes shut tight, a C-cup in each hand, tweaking her nipples between two fingers while the rest of the hand kneaded and fondled the fat of the breast. Joker could feel his dick twitch in his pants. How long had he been hard for? He didn't even feel it happen.

Joker withdrew from her pussy, wiping the vaginal fluid from his lips. He took a swig from Panther's water, swishing it around his mouth before swallowing. "How was that?" He said through heavy breaths.

"I never felt anything like it." Panther sighed dreamily, also quite winded.

Joker unfastened his pants, this time dropping them to the ground entirely—underpants as well. She bared it all to him; he would do the same. That, and having the elastic waistband of his underwear sit under his balls tended to hurt after a while.

Panther blushed hard at seeing her leader completely naked from the waist down.

"Wait, shit! Condoms!" Joker said, digging around his pockets knowing full well he didn't carry any.

"It's okay." Panther said, spreading her thighs even wider. "You can just pull out."

Joker stared at her glistening pussy, thinking about how tight she squeezed his tongue. "… I guess…" He said, carnal anticipation clouding his better judgement. Joker approached, dick in hand. "So, just… stick it in? Isn't the first time supposed to be, you know, painful?"

"Oh, you mean my hymen? First of all: bold of you to just assume I'm a virgin. I am, but it's more polite to ask about these things. As for the hymen: I broke that thing with a cucumber, like, waaaay long ago."

Joker just looked at her, his face painted in shock and confusion.

"What, surprised to hear that I masturbate? Libido isn't just a guy thing, you know. Girls can be huge pervs too. I started to stick stuff up there when I was, like, 15."

"Did you just inadvertently call me a perv?"

Panther laughed, looking down at the boy's raging hard-on "Aren't all guys pervs?"

"I mean, I like to think a _little_ more highly of myself" He pouted, stuffing his hands into his tailcoat pockets. "What happened to not making assumptions?"

"Can we just bone, already?!"

Joker tried to line himself up with her seated position. Standing was too high, kneeling was too low; he could line himself up in a sort of quarter-squat. But there was no way he could fuck like that… "I don't think this is gonna work, Panther. Would you mind if we did it doggy-style?" Joker asked timidly.

Panther gave him a scolding glare.

"Right! We're doing it doggy-style!" Joker tried again, his confident, leaderly theatrics on full display.

Panther smiled, giving him an encouraging thumbs up. She stood up, spun around, and kneeled onto the ground; using her still-warm seat as a place to rest her forearms, her hands making a nice, soft place to rest her chin while getting railed.

Joker got to his knees, rubbing the top of his meat along her folds as he unzipped her center zipper even further—from her taint to her tailbone. Joker took a deep breath; moment of truth. Goodbye virginity. Joker grabbed his shaft and pressed his head against her hot pussy. He resisted the urge to ask Ann if she was ready, instead opting for a more confident: "Alright, here we go."

The boy groaned hard as his head slipped inside. Her sodden flesh tunnel hugged him tight. Her walls shifted around him, rubbing in all the right places; he could see her pelvic muscles flex violently through the red latex suit. He could feel her pussy try to pull him deeper. "Is this… normal?" He said, scratching his face. "Didn't you say you diddled yourself often? Surely you've taken bigger things than me before."

"I dunno… Maybe… This feels so different… I dunno… I don't want to think, right now… Just fuck me already, Joker."

"Ooo, the F word? That's not very like you, Panther." He teased, gripping her hips. He pushed his cock further into her depths, centimeter-by-centimeter. He let out a sigh of relief as he bottomed out in her snatch. "Christ, Panther. Think you could you squeeze me a little harder? I'm practically falling out over here." He said, giving an experimental tug. Panther didn't respond. "Alright. Not in the mood for jokes. I'm gonna start moving, now. You ready?"

"Mm-hm."

Joker pulled out slowly, her tight pussy trying its hardest to keep him inside. Thanks to her liberal lubrication, Joker slid along her walls with relative ease. The chilled air of Mementos danced across his coated shaft, only his head remained in her hot embrace. Joker thrust back into the blonde, making them both gasp. His reentry was much smoother than his initial insertion, so the thrust was much harder than either of them anticipated. Joker eventually got his hips into a steady rhythm. He gripped her latex-clad hips for dear life as his world was thoroughly rocked, unconsciously pulling her hips into each of his thrusts.

Panther bit her lip, overwhelmed by the amounts of pure unwavering pleasure that coursed through her body. She thought she was prepared for sex. She fucked herself all the time with an assortment of high-quality dildos. She even had a special heated storage case, so they'd feel more real. But there was nothing she could have done to truly replicate what she was feeling. She wasn't fucking herself, she was _being_ fucked! That lack of control made a huge difference. The way the full weight of his hips slapped against her butt with each pussy-full of hot, wet cock! The very thought of it gave her butterflies! "Joker… Joker! I'm getting close!" She moaned between pants. "Do it inside, Joker. Cum inside me!"

"I thought you said to pull out!" He said, straining to hold back his own bubbling climax.

"I changed my mind! I need it! I need to feel it!"

There was a desperation in her voice, a kind of sex frenzy state that Joker wasn't comfortable taking directions from. He went to pull out for good, just for his hips to thrust back into her. He felt a warm presence envelop the back of his body, like someone turned on a heating lamp behind him. He looked down to see his pelvis being pushed and pulled by a red, ghostly essence. No. It couldn't be! Did she summon her-

"You weren't going to rob my Ann of her first creampie, were you darling?" Carmen purred into his ear, running a surprisingly soft hand down his cheek. "She wants it _sooo_ bad. Show a little compassion."

His real muscles had no chance against a Persona like Carmen. His will was breaking, the desire to cum inside a real life pussy growing stronger and stronger until it overwhelmed him. Joker snapped, thrusting into Panther's pussy in time with Carmen's movements, making the blond girl scream.

"More. More. Harder. Harder!" Carmen breathed into the boy's ear as she forced him to fuck even faster.

"Panther!" He strained. "Cumming!"

"Yes! Yes, please! Fill me up!"

Carmen released his hips the moment his damn broke. Joker rammed himself into the deepest parts of her pussy as he pumped her full of spunk. Her entire body jutted forward as Joker continued to give tiny, forceful thrusts, trying his hardest to get his cum even deeper inside her.

Panther melted at the hot semen filling her womb. She could feel it everywhere, painting her entire vaginal canal in a thin coat of cum. She'd never felt better in her entire life. She was complete.

Joker pulled out, falling backwards as his body failed to support his weight. The Persona cushioned his fall. The silky smooth fabric of her dress was really warm, like clothes straight outta the dryer. Carmen kissed him on the cheek. "Atta-boy." She whispered as she faded away, leaving him on the cold, hard ground.

Joker buried his face in his hands. "Oh god, what have I done? I'm not ready to be a dad!"

"Don't worry." Panther said, crawling back into her seat; cum pooling on the plastic as it continued to leak out her vagina. "It's a safe day for me."

"Safe… day?"

"Yeah, you know. I'm not ovulating. I'm also on the pill."

Joker stared at her blankly. "…What?"

Panther laughed. "You don't know anything about the female body, do you?"

"No! Am I supposed to?! Sperm goes into the vagina and that's how pregnancy happens. I thought that's more or less how it worked!"

Panther sighed. "Boys are such simple creatures."

"Or I'm just dumb." Joker said, feeling a huge weight lift off his chest as he picked himself up off the floor. He took a hard seat down across from her, his legs not yet ready to support his weight for long. Joker's gaze gravitated to her privates, glimmering with each other's body fluids. "So, uh… Did _you_ cum?"

Panther smiled, stifling a snicker. "Yes. Several times. Thanks for asking."

* * *

Around half-way to the surface, the Phantom Duo was ambushed by a particularly nasty pack of shadows; doable as a foursome, but with only two people, they were in deep trouble.

"Joker! Stay close to me!" Panther said, pulling him close to her body by the hip. "Let's get to work, Carmen!"

"With pleasure." the sultry voice seemed to fill the room. The ghostly seductress faded into existence beside them. Joker's jaw dropped, this wasn't the Carmen he was used to. Her crimson tango dress was covered in roses; thorny, writhing vines wrapping down her skirt like Christmas tree tinsel. What was once a head of very Ann-like pigtailed hair now freely ran down her back, made entirely of waving, flickering fire! Her flirty gaze was no longer visible through her mask; the eye holes shining a solid, bright yellow, like a pair of headlights. "Kneel!" Carmen's voice boomed. A line of fire was drawn around Panther and Joker. Everything outside the circle began to broil; the ground, itself, bubbling and melting. The shadows screamed as their feet sank into the magma. Carmen smirked as she snapped her fingers. Flames burst from the ground around them, incinerating everything within a five meter radius. The inferno burned from floor to ceiling, growing hotter and hotter; their hue shifting from orange to purple to bright cyan!

Joker stared in awe at the raw power on display. What on Earth was happening? When did Panther get so powerful? It didn't take long for Joker to fit the pieces together; only one thing of note had happened to Ann between now and their last battle. Sex… the ultimate bond former. Was this the key to the girls' rehabilitation?

As Carmen faded away, so too did the fire. There wasn't a trace of shadow remaining. Joker hesitantly took a step forward onto what was once bubbling lava. The floor was cold, solid stone; like nothing had happened. He turned to his partner, giving her a thumbs-up. "Great job, Panther. I knew I could count on you!" Joker said, trying not to look shaken-up by the experience.

Panther smiled proudly.

~ ~ ~ EVENING ~ ~ ~

With their mission completed, it was time to go home. The two stood side-by-side in the Shibuya subway station as they prepared to go their separate ways for the night.

"Hey, Akira?" Ann said timidly.

Akira turned his head to answer her, but was cut off before he could utter anything. His eyes went wide as the blonde leaned in swiftly and planted a peck on his lips.

"Thanks for everything." She said, blushing profusely. "I'll… see you tomorrow." Ann went on her way, disappearing into the subway station crowds.

Akira stood there, frozen, as the realization hit him. He'd lost his virginity _before_ he had his first kiss…

* * *

"Japanese circumcision rates" is now something that I can say I've looked up. Akira was going to have foreskin either way, but I had to get the numbers to know if Ann should react to that fact or not. Turns out, they pretty much don't circumcise over there, like at all. This means that most male anime characters canonically have foreskin, and as an unpeeled lad myself, frankly I feel a sense of solidarity.

* * *

Tags: Seduction. Breast Sucking. Hand/Blowjob. Cum in Mouth. Cunnilingus. Vaginal Sex (Doggy). Vaginal Creampie.


	5. Level Up! (UNFINISHED)

**~ ~ ~ MORNING ~ ~ ~**

**_Bzzzzt_**

**_Bzzzzt_**

**_Bzzzzt_**

[Text Key: AK:Akira, AT:Ann, FS:Futaba, HO:Haru, MN:Makoto, RS:Ryuji, YK:Yusuke]

RS: Hey.

RS: So when are we heading  
back into Okumura's palace?

AK: Patience, Young Sakamoto.

RS: C'mon man! Haru's chastity's on  
the line here.

YK: Not to sound insensitive, but  
I must agree with Akira. Proper  
preparation is the key to success.

YK: We still have ample time before  
the deadline.

HO: I appreciate your concern,  
Sakamoto-kun, but there's no need  
to rush. I trust Kurusu-kun's judgement.

MN: And when have Akira's instincts  
ever failed us in the past?

FS: Woo! Dumping on Ryuji party!

FS: Ann, your turn!

RS: I get it! We'll leave it to Akira.

RS: Oh, and you don't gotta do that  
"Sakamoto-kun" crap around here.  
We're all pretty much on a  
first-name basis.

FS: What's wrong, Sakamoto-senpai? /OwO/

RS: I aint your senpai!

RS: You're awfully snarky for a hermit,  
newbie.

FS: IRL's a different story. I'm fine  
over text tho. consider it a glimpse  
into the true mind of Futaba Sakura.

AT: And it doesn't help that someone  
likes to encourage her cheeky behavior.

AK: Hey. The girl's got talent!

**~ ~ ~ AFTER SCHOOL ~ ~ ~**

"So what's on the itinerary for today, Akira?" Morgana said, slipping his head out from Akira's bag.

"Heading over to Futaba's to play some video games." Akira said nonchalantly as he made his way down the narrow streets of Yongen-Jaya.

The cat froze, flashbacks to all her rough handlings of him zipping through his mind. "Well, have fun," he said, hastily leaping out from the boy's bag. "I think I'll sit this one out."

Akira chuckled. "What, you're scared of the little otaku girl, now?"

"Me? Scared? Don't be ridiculous! I… just have more important things to attend to, today."

"Well, good luck on your mission, soldier," he said, giving a salute as the cat bounded away. Akira smiled as he saw him turn the corner that lead right to Leblanc, followed by a familiar voice:

"Kitty! Hey! Come back!"

"_Mreyow!_" Morgana rounded the corner again and leaped into Akira's arms. "I couldn't get the door open!"

Futaba wasn't far behind, rounding the same corner. Her eyes widened a bit as they fell upon the frizzy-haired boy. "Oh, there you are, Akira!" she said, approaching as casually as she could manage. "You and Mona never travel far apart, huh."

"For purely tactical reasons. I need to be close by in case of- Hey!" Futaba began to pinch the cat's cheeks. "Ow! Hey, watch the whiskers! Akira!"

"Alright Futaba, that's enough," he said in a gentle, fatherly scold; placing a hand on her head, shutting the girl down like a snooze button. "We're doing it in your room, right? Why don't you go get everything set up? I just gotta drop some things off at Leblanc and I'll be right over."

Futaba felt her heart flutter. He was so cool! All she could manage was a flustered nod in response.

The café door bell jingled as Akira entered Leblanc. Boss was busy behind the coffee siphon—business was booming with a whole _three_ customers, today—but he gave the boy a nod of acknowledgement as he passed by the counter. Akira climbed the stairs with Mona still cradled in his arms; he could feel the cat's subtle purrs as he gently stroked his back. "You can _ask_ her to not be so rough with you, you know," Akira said as he neared the top of the staircase.

"Of course!" the cat said, jumping to the floor. "Here I was saying things like 'ow' and 'stop' and thinking that would be enough to get my point across."

"Futaba's a special one, Morgana," he said, plopping his bag down onto the table. "She's not really one to pick up on hints and social cues."

"You and I have very different ideas of what the word 'hint' means…"

"What I'm saying is: maybe try talking to her about it when she's not so focused on petting you. The girl's prone to tunnel-vision; she might not even hear you while she's doing it."

"Whatever," the cat groaned, hopping up onto the bed and rolling into a catnap ball. "Go play your video games."

Akira kneeled down, sliding his cardboard storage space out from the bottom shelf. He sifted through his belongings as quietly as he could before catching a glimpse of what he was looking for. He pulled the object from the cardboard box, staring at it intently with both fear and anticipation: a single, neatly-wrapped condom.

* * *

Futaba sat on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest. There was no setting-up to do. She was so excited for today, she'd set everything up for Akira's arrival hours beforehand. But he told her to go home and wait, so she obeyed. She didn't like being alone with her thoughts; she was never low on distractions. But she didn't want to risk getting startled by Akira opening her bedroom door with her guard down, so she waited; letting her thoughts wander. Since her brain was a jerk, it instantly gravitated to her mom. It was a habit. Even after learning the truth behind her mother's death, she still found her mind running through the usual motions, along with a few new 'what ifs.'

What if her mom never died? Who would Futaba be today?

How much life had she missed out on while locked away in her room?

What if she'd been a better daughter? Would her mother… still be alive?

Would the world be a better place if she had died instead of her mother?

Did she really deserve all the love and support she'd been getting?

What if… she'd never been saved? What if she'd actually reported the Phantom Thieves to the police? The mere thought of how much stress she must've put on her soon-to-be friends made her sick! It made her disgusted with herself! She'd been a hindrance to everyone who'd ever tried to help her! _She didn't have the right to be loved!_

"Knock knock." A muffled, lighthearted voice came from her bedroom door. "Futaba?" he said, cracking her door open. "Can I come in?"

The girl's toxic emotions began to magically melt away as her key-item's voice filled her ears. Futaba wiped away what little moisture had collected in her eyes. She hopped off the bed, opening the door the rest of the way. "Of course! Uh, welcome to the battle station." she said as casually as one could after having just escaped a mini emotional tailspin.

Akira made his way into her room as Futaba closed the door behind him, zipping back across the room to take a seat in her padded office chair. She stared at the boy like an eager puppy waiting for walkies. Akira smiled, approaching the seat that was presumably prepared for him: a wooden chair poached from the dining room with a pillow from her bed as a makeshift cushion.

Futaba thrust a controller in his face the second his butt hit the seat. "Come on! Come on! We're burning daylight, here!"

Akira took the controller from the redhead's grasp.

"Let's go! FutabAkira Bonding Mission: Start!" she announced as she triumphantly hammered down onto the start button.

"Hey, wait!" he said with a chuckle. "I don't even know what we're doing yet!"

"You'll pick it up as you go along. This one arrived earlier today, so we're both going in as noobs."

Akira smiled at the girl sat beside him, her eyes transfixed on the screen in front of them. There was something so enjoyable about her raw passion for video games. FutabAkira also didn't go by unnoticed. Was that a shipping name?

Futaba's enthusiasm was a bit short-lived. The game was a very pretty, slow-paced puzzle-platformer. Other than having to occasionally press a button at the same time, the game barely qualified as a co-op title. It was _alright_… The trailer made it seem so much more engaging than it actually was. To say the least: it was easy; too easy. So easy that she found her mind wandering, again. Akira's feel-good AoE ability was next-level stuff; not a single bad thought could touch her with her key-item equipped. It'd been less than a month since she became a Phantom Thief, but it felt like she'd known the gang for years. She loved her new friends! She'd done some awful, selfish things to them, but she couldn't change the past. All she could do was make up for her mistakes. Thanks to Akira's help, she was a whole new person! Everyone else had helped her along the way, but Akira's help was different. He went above and beyond the call of duty. He was her rock; with him by her side, she had the power to move mountains. Though she doubted the pain of her mother's death would ever fully heal, she was thankful. Even after she was gone, her mother lead Futaba to Akira.

"Futaba…? Futaba!"

"Hm?! Yes! Hello! What's up?" The words 'GAME OVER' filled the screen in front of her in red block capitals.

"You just walked off the edge and died. Are you feeling alright?"

"Me? Y-Yeah. Of course! I just got bored. Let's switch this game out for a better one." Futaba exited the game, launching a new one with impressive speed. This next one was sure to keep her mind in-the-moment. This action-packed shoot-em-up-platformer got five stars across the board by nearly every media outlet and amateur reviewer alike. It was a brutal game, but every death taught you a bit more; every death got you that much closer to that sweet victory screen. Akira held the veteran gamer back a bit, but it sounded like he was having fun, even _if_ he was being totally carried.

After a few hours of playing, Akira thought it would be a good time to make his move. He'd just lost his last life for the level, leaving victory all in Futaba's hands. "Hey, Futaba…?" he said, nervously glancing over to the girl next to him, the game screen reflecting off the focused girl's glasses.

"Uh-huh?" she passively said, eyes not leaving the screen as her thumbs danced across the controller.

"Have you ever kissed anyone before? You know, like… romantically?"

"Mmmm?!" she squeaked through tightly clenched lips, her entire face growing red as her back went rigid. She hit the pause button before she could manage to botch the run. Why would he ask that?! Was this normal?! Oh gosh, was _she_ the one being weird?! "Um… No, Akira…" she finally stammered out, white-knuckle gripping the controller in her increasingly sweaty hands. "No, I-I haven't." Oh god. Her heart was racing so fast all of a sudden. She could feel it pounding against her chest. Was the room getting hotter?

"Would you like to…?"

"Yes!" her mouth shouted before even consulting her brain. "I'm sorry! That was weird! That was just one of your jokes, right? You wanted to make me mess up just so you could get back into the game faster."

That was a pretty good out—it was absolutely something he'd do. It was almost disappointing that he'd never get to use it. "I'm not kidding, Futaba. I: Akira Kurusu, am offering, nay, _asking _to be your first kiss." He stared into her eyes and pure terror stared back.

She buried her face in her hands. "Hahh! Akira! You… You can't just dump this kind of stuff on me! I'm not equipped for it!"

"Is that a: no?"

"Of course it's not a: no! It's a… It's a good bonus objective!" She peeked at Akira from between her fingers. "Right now?"

Akira laughed. "That's what I had in mind, yes. I could just kiss you, if that'd make it easier."

Futaba's hands lowered from her face. "Okay…" The redhead swiveled her chair to face him, puckering her lips as her eyes fell closed, fearful she might chicken-out if she saw him coming. With all the silent swiftness of a Phantom Thief the boy pressed his lips against hers. Futaba's hands gripped her armrests as she leaned ever-so-slightly into the kiss. His puckered lips were soft and she could fell his hot breath against her face. It was nice, but it was also kinda lame. All too quickly, she felt his lips pull away. "Again!" she barked like a demanding child, eyes only squeezing tighter. "A real one! Like in the movies!"

"You mean, like, open-mouth."

Futaba merely nodded.

"Alright. Don't expect much. I'm new at this too." Akira stared at the girl's mouth: jaw relaxed with lips slightly parted. Akira mimicked her lip shape as he leaned forward, tilting his head slightly to avoid bumping noses. He let his own eyes fall closed as their lips connected. Futaba's mouth sprung to action right away, flexing her soft lips gracefully across his own. Futaba must have studied movie kisses frame-by-frame because she was a natural! Since she clearly knew what she wanted, Akira let the girl lead, eventually catching onto her rhythm and holding his own as an active participant. The room was filled with the subtle sounds of lip suction as the two passionately kissed in front of the pause screen.

The girl's body jolted as she felt his hands gently take hold of her slender waist. The thin fabric of her shirt did little to protect her from his warmth. Futaba pressed her face deep into his, wrapping her arms around the back of his neck so he couldn't escape her attack. It felt so good; she wanted more! She'd read so much romantic fanfic, she wanted to experience it all for herself!

Akira's eyes snapped open as he felt a tongue enter his mouth. With Futaba's official green flag to proceed, Akira met her tongue with his own. Their muscles danced between their lips as Akira's hands gently caressed her body.

The girl got chills as he slid his hands down her back. She squeaked into his mouth as Akira gripped her butt before rising from his seat and lifting her into the air. The redhead's grip tightened as he continued to kiss her. He maneuvered away from the chairs and flopped down back-first onto her bed, letting her fall on top of him.

For the first time since their lips touched, Futaba broke the kiss; chest rising and falling as she stared down at him through the fog collecting on her glasses. "That was… pretty intense…" she said between huffs and puffs. "Didn't mean to… get that into it…" Futaba propped herself up by the hands resting on Akira's chest, looking down to see that she was straddling his waist; n-not on purpose! It was just where her body happened to fall. She fidgeted nervously from the closeness they were sharing under-the-belt, only to jolt as she felt something firm graze her taint. She looked behind her to confirm her suspicion. Akira was hard! She made Akira hard! She didn't think she had the stats to turn a guy on! Futaba's gaze was suddenly caught by the colorful plastic square peeking half-way out from the boy's pocket. She froze.

"Futaba?" Akira said, a concerned tone to his lips.

Futaba whipped her head back around, staring down at the boy with wide, boggled eyes. "You want to have sex?!" she blurted, far louder than she intended.

Akira stared back at her, silent. "Y-Yes…" he finally said, breaking her gaze as a blush sneaked onto his cheeks. "I'm sorry. I should've been more up-front about it. I can just go if you-"

"W-Wait!" she said, attempting to pin the boy back down by the shoulders. "I-I never said I was against the idea…" Futaba was now looking everywhere but his face. "I'm just a bit… overwhelmed. This is all happening so fast, but…" the girl paused, gathering the strength to look him in the eye again, "of course I'd want my first time to be with you!"

"Futaba…" he said, a bit taken aback by the raw emotion in her voice. "I don't want to make you do anything you're not ready for."

"N-No! I _am _ready! I… I… I love you, Akira!" The hands on his chest tightened into quivering fists. "I owe you _everything_! You're so good to me! You're nice and funny and cool and handsome and I love you!"

The girl looked like she was on the verge of tears; there was no room for hesitation. Akira pulled her into his arms, lovingly stroking the back of her head as she returned the embrace. "I love you too, Futaba." Akira said softly, a not-insignificant stab of guilt in his side. He wasn't lying. He did love Futaba. He'd had a crush on her since they first met… but she wasn't the only one. He tucked Ann away into the back of his mind. This was Futaba's first time, she deserved his full attention.

Futaba broke their hug, rising back into her straddle. She grabbed the hem of her shirt, pulling it swiftly up-and-over her head before throwing it to the floor below. Her timid smile said so much: half 'look! I did it! Praise me!' half 'this is so embarrassing! Don't look at me!'

Unfortunately for that latter half: Akira's eyes couldn't _not_ look at her! Her pale shut-in skin gave her an almost radiant glow. Her body was slender, lacking the more stated feminine curves of the other girls in the group. Futaba was also the flattest of the lady thieves, the black A-cup bra hiding her goods tightly to her chest like a good poker hand. As a boob-guy, you'd think he'd be turned-off by the less well-endowed nerd girl, but shape and firmness mattered _so much_ more than size!

"_Yipe!_" the girl squeaked as she felt Akira's hands fall upon her bare waist, sliding his warm hands along her soft, silky-smooth skin. "H-Hey! I'm not gonna be the _only_ one here to unequip their gear," she said, starting to work her way down the boy's shirt buttons. There were a lot of buttons, and Futaba often found her fingers fumbling at the fabric. She had to actively stifle the moans bubbling up from her chest as the boy continued to caress her skin. Who knew it felt _this_ good just to be stroked? As the last button popped from its slit, Futaba threw open his shirt with a Zelda chest: "dun-dun-dun-DUN!"

The boy chuckled as he slipped his arms from his sleeves, tossing it off the bed to join Futaba's top.

"Mwehehe," she cackled, fingers wriggling in anticipation of being the groper. She placed her hands on his chest, before venturing out to the other parts of his upper-body. Futaba was surprised. From afar, Akira was just a lanky, average looking guy. But as her hands explored, she realized just how much his clothes concealed. She wouldn't call him buff, but he wasn't the stick bug she was expecting either. Everywhere she felt was firm muscle, the slightest hint of a visible six-pack etched into his abs.

"I… started a workout routine for Phantom Thieving," Akira said bashfully, knowing the question would eventually come up. "Hey, Futaba. Do you mind if I…?" Akira made little titty-squeezing motions with his hands.

Futaba's eyes went wide, a fresh blush re-reddening the flustered girl's cheeks. "U-Uh. Y-Yeah. Sure. Just… you know… be gentle." Ugh. Why did she say that?! So cliché!

* * *

Around half way done. I'm not sure how much freetime I'll have in the coming months, so I wanted to get something out just in case.


End file.
